


Winter

by lostonthisisland



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-18
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-02-13 18:27:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2160606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostonthisisland/pseuds/lostonthisisland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short dark piece.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Winter

Snow falls mutely in the clearing and obscures Josh's vision. He shivers as he picks up his heavy boots, step after step, through the deep snow.

 

Tyler is a blurry little patch of black amongst the white static all around them.

 

"Tyler!" Josh calls out and the winter air swallows his voice away. Tyler makes no indication he's heard.

 

Pushing forward, Josh's thighs burn from the effort of walking through feet of snow. Tyler's footprints have long since filled in.

 

Once he's closer Josh tries again, "Tyler!" The blurry form of his friend has begun to disappear beneath the white snow, but Josh sees him turn.

 

He waves to Tyler and catches up before plopping down in the snow beside him. Josh doesn't even feel the impact, just the slow seep of cold through his snow pants.

 

Tyler's nose is red and he gives Josh a smile that never reaches his eyes.

 

His breath comes out in white puffs of air when he breathes and Josh takes one deep breath before blowing it all out in front of him like a dragon.

 

He looks at Tyler sideways before asking, "What are you doing out here?"

 

And Tyler is silent for so long that Josh starts to wonder if he'd asked his question out loud.

 

Eventually, Tyler says, "I'm leaving." and his voice is so soft Josh can barely hear him over the chattering of his own teeth.

 

"Leaving?" He shivers and looks forward, where Tyler's eyes are fixed. He can barely make out the fence and the guard towers he knows are there.

 

Josh looks around, the snow is heavy, true, but he can still make things out. The lines of the forest, the houses back from the road they came in on.

 

"They'll see you." Josh breathes.

 

Tyler is still next to Josh's shivering body.

 

"I know."

 

Josh swallows, Tyler's words echoing through his head.

 

Somewhere not far above, a crow calls. Josh swears its the only sound for miles.

 

Snow melts into the material of his pants, freezing his legs, and melts on the tips of his hair, bringing cold droplets into his scalp.

 

"Tyler?"

 

For the first time his friend turns to look at him and Josh notes that Tyler's lips are blue.

 

"Don't... don't leave me?"

 

Blue lips turn into a soft, sad smile and Tyler says, "Come with me."

 

Josh glances nervously to the guard towers and bites his lip. They're dry and chapped.

 

He feels himself shaking his head, his heart beating faster.

 

"I didn't think so," Tyler says, and its not mean, its just perceptive, "I have to leave." he says and Josh feels his heart clench.

 

 _Please_ , he wants to say, _don't._

 

Tyler stands and snow falls from his shoulders.

 

Looking up and blinking into the falling snow, Josh watches, his head screaming, _stay!_

 

"Goodbye." Tyler says and he turns his head, his eyes leaving Josh's before he starts to walk forward, feet shuffling through heavy snow.

 

Josh watches his friend grow smaller, his shape fading into the white static of the falling snow.

 

He squints to see and suddenly Josh is so very afraid. He stands and a scream rips from his throat but the snow is consuming it.

 

A gunshot splits the air the same moment Tyler reaches for the fence and Josh sees a cloud of red burst into the falling snow.

 

Josh is running, his boots feeling heavier than ever as he struggles through the white on the ground. Tyler's shape is small, slumped into the snow.

 

When he gets close enough Josh takes a moment to see before he's turning away, eyes squeezing shut against the image, tears and snot running hotly down his face.

 

He takes a moment to gag, to cry, to breathe, before he turns back around.

 

Tyler's blood is stark against the snow, bright red on gleaming white. His body is crumpled in a heap of limbs and clothing, his face hidden beneath his shoulder. All Josh can see is Tyler's hair, shining wet with melting snow and blood.

 

He tears his eyes away from his friend's body and up at the guard towers. Snow falls in his eyes and he blinks angrily at the cold.

 

Josh raises his arm to touch the fence. He's dead before the sound of the gunshot is swallowed by snow.


End file.
